The winner of the inaugural Northern Lakes League Cardinal Division title was not decided until Week 10 of the 2023 regular season.
Another tight finish is expected this fall with Southview predicted to repeat.
All five teams in the NLL Cardinal Division qualified for the playoffs last fall.
The Cougars edged Napoleon in a preseason coaches poll. Southview and Napoleon each earned two first-place votes, while Clay earned the other.
Southview is narrowly picked to finish first based on overall points followed by Napoleon, Clay, Fremont Ross, and Bowling Green.
“The Cardinal Division is currently very balanced from top to bottom,” Southview coach Steve Hardy said. “[Being picked to win the title] is a sign of respect, not only for our accomplishments on Friday nights last year and winning the Cardinal with some key injuries but also for the program as a whole.”
Last fall, Southview and Napoleon both came into the final game of the regular season undefeated in league play. The Cougars prevailed 20-14 to claim the school's first NLL football title since 2011.
Fremont Ross came in third after losing to Napoleon and Southview, followed by Clay and BG.
Southview reached the second round of the D-II playoffs, while Napoleon reached the second round in D-IV. Fremont Ross and Clay also qualified in D-II and BG qualified for the playoffs in D-III.
Here is a look at the NLL Cardinal Division in predicted order of finish:
SOUTHVIEW
■ Coach : Steve Hardy, third season
■ Last season : 8-4 overall, 4-0 NLL Cardinal
■ Top players : Seniors Will Mayzes, 6-1, 185, LB-QB; Drew Young, 6-0, 210, FB-TE-LB; Josh Adamczyk, 5-10, 240, LG-DE; Scott Hearn, 6-2, 280, OT-DT; Dalen Selmon, 5-8, 180, WR-CB; Carson Fielding, 5-11, 170, S-P-K; Griffin Koch, 6-4, 270, RT; Tony Smith, 6-2, 200, NG-TE. Juniors Moe McArthur, 6-1, 190, RB-LB; Adam LePla, 6-0, 155, WR-CB.
■ Outlook : Hardy, who has a 16-7 record, has returning starters at many key positions among 52 total varsity players. Southview has 19 seniors with 20 returning letterwinners. Five starters are back on offense but just two full-time starters are back on defense. Hardy considers Mayzes and Young the voice and backbone of the team. Mayzes, a three-year starter, completed 91 of 148 attempts for 1,359 yards and 18 touchdowns with just three interceptions. He earned all-district honorable mention. Young, also a three-year letter starter, finished with 95 tackles, including three sacks with one interception to earn All-NLL first-team honors. Young also earned all-district first-team honors at linebacker. Adamczyk and Hearn also are three-year starters. Adamczyk earned all-league first-team honors, while Hearn made the second team. Fielding was second-team all-league as a punter. Hardy said experience at QB and running back as well as on both lines will be strengths. But he said there is inexperience at wideout and in the secondary.
“This is a team and a season of opportunity and potential,” Hardy said. “The last two seasons we were focused on winning with our experience and talent. We have worked hard to develop our program and players to be successful when it’s their turn. This team is focused, hardworking, and coachable. If we can stay healthy through the NLL crossover gauntlet, we will feel very comfortable defending our title.”
NAPOLEON
■ Coach : Tyler Swary, third season
■ Last season : 6-6, 3-1
■ Top players : Seniors Trey Rubinstein, 6-4, 195, OLB-WR; Owen Espinoza, 6-1, 190, QB; Parker Woods, 6-2, 160, WR-DB; Garrett Hull, 6-2, 165, TE-OLB; Juniors George Eggers, 6-1, 200, OLB-RB; Hayden Gerken, 5-11, 170, WR-DB.
■ Outlook : Swary has good numbers (58) despite having the smallest enrollment in the NLL. He has 18 seniors with 26 returning letter winners. Eight starters are back on offense and six return on defense. Rubinstein, who was the division's defensive player of the year, earned all-state first-team honors and will play at Kent State. Espinoza broke the school record for passing yards (1,633) en route to All-NLL second-team honors. Eggers, who was named to the all-league second team, had 12½ tackles for loss and 295 rushing yards with six TDs. Woods, who averaged 15.0 yards per catch, also was named to the All-NLL second team along with Gerken. Hull had four receiving touchdowns. Swary will run a hybrid Wing-T on offense and a 3-4 formation on defense. He said he has experience at the skill positions on both sides of the ball. But the Wildcats, who lack some depth, also must replace their entire offensive and defensive lines.
“I think this team has a lot of potential,” Swary said. “They have shown some grit and are competing every day. We need to make sure we are ready to play at a high level to start the season.”
CLAY
■ Coach : John Galyas, eighth season
■ Last season : 4-7, 1-3
■ Top players : Seniors Mason Heintschel, 6-2, 200, QB; Troy Hazuda, 6-0, 185, WR; Hudson Byers, 6-3, 225, TE; Landon Eversman, 5-11, 210, DE; Jacob Titgemeyer, 5-8, 175, RB; Leon Carey, 6-1, 285, OL-DL. Junior Zach Rahm 6-5, 270, OL-DL.
■ Outlook : The Eagles have plenty of experience back with 30 seniors. Galyas has 85 total players with 45 letterwinners back. Nine of 11 starters are back on offense and six return on defense. Pitt commit Heintschel, who was the division's offensive player of the year, completed 199 of 323 passes for 2,385 and 20 TDs. Heintschel also rushed for 692 yards and 13 TDs. Hazuda earned all-league and all-district first-team honors after catching 59 passes for 804 yards and seven scores. Byers, who had 537 receiving yards, also earned All-NLL first-team honors. Eversman, a member of the all-league second team, finished with 61 tackles and one interception. Titgemeyer, who rushed for 454 yards and 5 TDs, also earned all-league second-team honors. Carey is a three-year starter, while Rahm is a two-year starter. The Eagles return all of their skill players on offense and the defense should be much improved, especially on the defensive line and secondary, according to Galyas. But he said his team needs to stay healthy and replace two key offensive linemen and a linebacker who have moved on to play college football.
“We have a chance to have a good season if we can stay healthy and solidify the offensive line,” Galyas said. “Our seniors have been great providing leadership and showing the younger guys how to do things. The Cardinal Division is a tough, wide-open race, with every team making the playoffs last year, which means we better be ready to play every week. We think that we have a chance to be playing meaningful games late in the season.”
FREMONT ROSS
■ Coach : Chad Long, ninth season
■ Last season : 4-7, 2-2
■ Top players : Seniors Kaden Mayle, 6-6, 310, OT-DT; Zavier Lopez, 6-2, 280, OT; Zalen Harris, 5-8, 160, RB-LB; Jayce Frymire, 5-10, 155, WR-CB; Jadrian Brown, 5-10, 160, WR-DB. Juniors Marquez Williams, 6-0, 220, DE; Tallon Brown, 6-0, 205, TE-DE.
■ Outlook : Long, who is the longest-tenured coach in the league, has 58 total players on the varsity. Among 19 returning letterwinners are 18 seniors. Eight starters are back on each side of the ball. Mayle, who has committed to Kent State, earned All-Ohio first-team honors. Lopez and Frymire each earned All-NLL first-team honors, while Harris was selected to the all-league second team. Long said he has good numbers and experience along both lines. He said the defensive line and defensive backs are the anchors. But he said there are unknowns at linebacker and wide receiver.
“Belief and leadership will be the key factor in the success of Little Giants football,” Long said. “Tough people win, and that's our motivation this offseason — to get more physical.”
BOWLING GREEN
■ Coach : Shawn Kiss, first season
■ Last season : 5-6, 0-4
■ Top players: Seniors Ja’ceous Shannon, 5-9, 184, RB-WR-LB; Jackson Shafer, RB-WR-LB; Jamison Horst, 6-2, 212, QB-DE; Rhett Winger, 5-8, 156, RB-WR-FS; Navoia Ragin, 6-4, 278, OT-DT; A.J. Miller, 6-1, 231, OT-DE. Hunter Kozlowicz, 6-0, 300, OG-DT; Drew Erekson, 6-0, 227, C.
■ Outlook : The Bobcats defeated Springfield and Northview of the NLL Buckeye, but went winless in the Cardinal. Kiss, a longtime BG assistant, has 23 seniors among 53 varsity players. A total of 18 letter winners are back with eight starters on offense and seven on defense. Shannon, a fourth-year starter who earned all-league second-team honors, had 102 carries for 1,050 rushing yards and 14 total TDs. Shafer also had 82 carries for 598 rushing yards to earn all-league second-team honors. Horst (102 rushing yards, 162 passing yards, 4 TDs) also is back. Winger anchors the defensive backfield, while Ragin, Miller, Kozlowicz, and Erekson led an offensive line that set a school record with 3,306 rushing yards. Kiss plans to diversify the offense out of the pistol flexbone and run a 4-2-5 scheme on defense. The experience on offense and in the secondary will be strengths. But the linebackers and defensive linemen are inexperienced.
“Our kids got a taste of winning last year, but we have a bad taste left in our mouth from our performance in the Cardinal Division,” Kiss said. “We return most of a team that had a school record number of rushing yards on offense featuring two multi-faceted running backs in Shannon and Shafer and an experienced quarterback returning in Horst. We look to pick up where we left off offensively. Defensively, with a retooled defense, we feel confident in putting a team on the field that will be competitive on both sides of the ball. We will play sound, fast, and physical and be a competitor in the NLL Cardinal Division.”
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